Chic Bow Collar Dress Tutorial

Embrace all things vintage with a floppy bow dress inspired by 1970s day wear with this Chic Bow Collar Dress Tutorial. Made with 2 to 3 yards of flowy, lightweight fabric, this smart and chic DIY dress is a nod to classic women's wear of the 70s and early 80s, and is perfect for the office, church, or even a night out with your hubby. This dressmaking tutorial lets you draft your own patterns, so that you don't have to waste money on expensive ill-fitting clothes, and links to a video by the blogger on how to create patterns using your own clothing. The lightweight fabric of this dress is great for spring or fall, and the dress also has structure while still being loose and comfy, so that you don't have to sacrifice style for comfort.

FASHION FACT: Did you know that bow collar dresses and tops have a very cool history behind them? In the 1970s and 1980s, when women began to enter the corporate workforce in executive positions, the floppy bow became a popular way for women to inject femininity into traditional male businesswear, like ties. Its resurgance in popularity "is a tribute to the female pioneers in high-level executive positions". You can read more about this trend in this article from Jezebel here, or you can check out the documentary Makers: Women who Make America.

Click Here for the Sewing Project

Project TypeMake a Project

Time to CompleteWeekend project

Sewn byMachine

Intermediate

Your Recently Viewed Projects

Rate

I have not made this yet so I cannot rate it.

We are adding your Comments.

Thank you! Your comment has been added.

We are sorry. There was an error tyring to post your rating and review.

Your comment will appear after our editors have had a chance to review it.

Cancel Reply to Comment

Thanks for your comment. Don't forget to share!

Morehouse17

Oct 31, 2017

This is a classy piece. The design for this chic bow collar dress is very feminine and would be beautiful in an array of colors. The bow definitely adds all the charm needed here.

KathrynAllison

Jul 21, 2017

I can definitely see myself wearing this. I love clothing with feminine details and the over-sized bow on this dress certainly fits the bill. The fit of the dress is also a nod to a bygone era. Thanks for sharing!

Delphine Bryant

Mar 27, 2017

This lightweight dress is truly adorable. The simple plain dress is accentuated with the bow. The directions are clear and concise. I was thinking about making something for my niece to add to here summer wardrobe and this may be the dress I complete for her. Thanks for the tutorial.